What does booby mean?
'Booby' has two quite separate lives in English. Its older sense, borrowed into the language in the early seventeenth century, denotes a foolish or clumsy person — someone slow to learn or easily fooled. Used this way, the word is informal and mildly mocking, though it often carries a teasing rather than cruel tone, as when an adult calls a child 'a silly old booby.' From this sense come familiar fixed phrases: the 'booby prize', awarded to the contest's worst performer, and the 'booby trap', a hidden device that catches the unwary. The word's second life is zoological: 'booby' names several large tropical seabirds of the genus Sula, famed for their dramatic plunge dives and, in species like the blue-footed booby, vividly coloured feet. Sailors reportedly named these birds because their tameness made them easy to catch — seemingly foolish, hence the name. Whether describing a well-meaning dimwit or a striking seabird, 'booby' remains a distinctive and memorable English word.
A foolish, clumsy, or slow-witted person.
"Don't be such a booby — read the instructions first."
Informal; often used teasingly or affectionately rather than with real contempt.
Any of several large tropical seabirds of the genus Sula, noted for plunge-diving for fish and, in some species, colourful feet.
"We watched blue-footed boobies dive into the surf from the cliff top."
Used in ornithological contexts; entirely neutral in register.
Standard plural for both the bird and, less commonly, the person sense.
"Colonies of boobies crowd the rocky ledges of the Galápagos."
The blue-footed booby courts its mate by showing off its feet — the brighter the blue, the better the catch.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of booby
'Booby' entered English in the early seventeenth century, derived from the Spanish 'bobo', meaning fool or simpleton, which itself likely traces back to Latin 'balbus', meaning stammering or mumbling. The seabird received its common name from sailors, who found the birds so tame on nesting islands that they could be caught by hand — behaviour that struck the sailors as gullible, echoing the word's original sense of foolishness. The related term 'booby trap' developed later, referring to a device or trick that exploits exactly such gullibility.
Related word forms
How booby is actually used
When applied to people, 'booby' is informal and mildly derogatory but can carry an affectionate or jocular tone, especially toward children or friends. In ornithology it is entirely neutral. The extended senses appear mainly in fixed phrases such as 'booby prize' and 'booby trap'.
Easily confused with booby
A 'bobby' is a British police officer (or Bobby, a male given name), while 'booby' means a foolish person or a seabird.